They Don't Know (BOOK TWO)

Chapter 9

For the next couple of days, Sevyn feels depressed. Not only does she have a cold but she doesn't have an appetite either. She doesn't want to stay in her house because her dad has started the process of packing up all his stuff in cardboard boxes but she doesn't want to go to Corey's house and get him sick too. So she mostly stays in her room, only leaving to use the bathroom or get something to drink.

Ty is barely home anymore, no one knows where he disappears to and Malcolm just feels like he's in the middle of everything. Apart of him wants to be angry at his parents like his brother and sister, but another part of him sees where his parents are coming from. The atmosphere in the house has been tense for months, maybe the divorce is the best thing to do. Sure it could have been announced a little better but what's done is done.

Sevyn was doing some last minute homework before school starts up again next week when her phone rings. She answers without glancing at the number, already knowing who it is.

"Hey," she says softly into the phone.

"Still not feeling any better?" Jackson asks.

"Nope," she replies. The only thing Jackson knows is that she got sick from walking around in nearly below 0 temperatures. Sevyn didn't tell him about the divorce yet because she knows that he would only suggest to leave New York early and come home to console her. She doesn't want to be selfish and take him away from his family so she decides to tell him when he returns in three days.

"I can't wait for you to get home." Sevyn says, tapping her pencil on her math book.

Jackson sighs heavily, "That's what I called to tell you..." He pauses for a moment and Sevyn feels her heart skip a beat. Did his mom decide to move there permanently? Is Jackson not coming back to Connecticut. Jackson sighs once again, "I'm gonna be here a little longer Sevyn."

"What, why?" Sevyn's voice comes out as a squeak, hurting her throat.

"My grandmother...passed away." He says, his voice cracking a little.

What's left of Sevyn's heart breaks. "No, Jackson stop!" She exclaims, jumping out of her bed and pacing the floor.

"Jamie found her last night. We were all going to go out for dinner, I sent Jamie to go get my grandmother from the bedroom. She went and then came running back into the living room screaming that Grandma wouldn't wake up. I thought she was just in a deep sleep, so I went to her room to wake her myself. But when I touched her...her body was cold. I-" he pauses and takes a deep breath, Sevyn's body shakes violently. "I screamed for my mom to call 911 and everyone came pushing into the room, all screaming her name to try and wake her up. The paramedics came and pronounced her dead."

Sevyn doesn't realize she's crying again until tears fall down her face. She can't find her words as she sits down on the floor, her back against her dresser. As if things couldn't get any worse, Mrs.Brown passes away. "W-what did she die from?"

Jackson doesn't say anything for a moment and tries to even out his voice. "Lung cancer...it all makes sense now. All her doctors appointments, her coughing fits, it all adds up. I just don't understand why she didnt tell us. Sh-she...she should have told us." He stutters out and Sevyn can tell he's trying not to cry.

"Jackson I'm so sorry." She says, unable to think of anything else to say. "Give my condolences to your family, ok?"

"Yeah," He says softly. "I'm sorry I won't be there to go back to school with you. I might be gone until the end of January. My family is planning for the funeral to be up here since most of them live here. Then we have alot of family business and financial stuff to work out here."